How to create more sustainable operations – one asset at a time

Sustainable operations start with assets

Our assets, like buildings, energy grids, vehicles and industrial equipment, are key contributors to the sustainability challenges we face today. But good asset management practices can be part of the solution. The desire to be a more earth-friendly organization is more than altruistic, too. It’s also good for business – “doing well by doing good.” That’s why today, we’ll focus on the ways you can create more sustainable operations while you also deliver more value to your organization.

Consider the number of assets needed in your operations. Each has a finite lifecycle that includes maintenance, refurbishment and/or replacement, which are not always the most eco-friendly activities. A better approach is to extend the life of each of those assets.

You can create more sustainable operations by employing enterprise asset management. You’ll reduce waste and gain operational efficiencies in the process. Two examples:

• Manage maintenance requests at an enterprise level to create optimal, efficient routes and reduce the amount of fuel your technicians use.
• Give your maintenance teams mobile tools with in-depth asset information and access to critical knowledge to increase first-time fix rates and decrease return visits.

Sund & Baelt is using AI and IoT to preserve and protect some of the world’s largest infrastructure, projecting lifespan extension for Great Belt bridge 100 years, avoiding 750,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Take sustainable operations to the next level with IoT data, analytics and AI

The essential elements of sustainable operations management are reduced labor coupled with improved products and service quality. Better uptime, as well as understanding the root cause of failure and defects is key to process optimization in every industry. Many organizations, however, have already wrung out what they can from a traditional approach to improving operations. That’s why AI-powered capabilities for asset performance management are critical for a more efficient, sustainable model:

• Remotely monitor critical assets for enterprise-wide visibility into performance. Then use data to plan a strategic, sustainable asset strategy based on risk and criticality.
• Develop predictive maintenance plans to improve asset availability by 20% and extend the lives of machines by years, which also reduces C02 emissions.
• Use AI-powered visual and auditory inspections to spot small defects before they become large-scale problems then take action to reduce waste and rework.

Make your buildings as green as possible

Creating facilities that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient is really thinking about asset management at a building level. And like every other asset that has a lifecycle, you can make them more sustainable through every phase. From siting to design, construction to operation (including facilities management, maintenance and renovation) to the deconstruction of that space, you can apply the same advanced asset management technology and processes that we discussed above. For example:

• When it comes to your offices, you can monitor space, understand how it’s being used and right-size your real estate.
• Just like a manufacturing facility, you can manage and monitor the assets within each structure – like HVAC systems, elevators and even the exit signs – and use AI-driven insights to perform predictive instead of reactive maintenance and reduce both the energy used and the overall carbon footprint of your portfolio.
• And a digital twin of your facility – just like a digital twin on any other assets – lets you mirror and monitor building systems and troubleshoot problems before wasting resources on unnecessary or inaccurate repairs.

Don’t just worry about the weather – plan for and respond to it

From acquiring raw materials to making the last-mile delivery to the end consumer, weather impacts every facet of business, every day. Couple that with that fact that in 2020, there were 22 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the US alone and you can understand why modeling the risk from weather is so critical to your operations. In the same way that IoT data and AI can help protect your assets, when combined with your proprietary and third-party geospatial information, this data can help you prepare for the unexpected. For example:

• Accurate weather data allows you to better predict energy demand and reduce waste so that you don’t buy more power than you need.
• You can reduce C02 emissions from vehicles by using weather information to predict and avoid disruptions and plot the most efficient routes.

Put technology to work for your business… and the planet

Without a doubt, being better stewards of the planet is shaping a new corporate agenda. Purpose-driven consumers are putting their money behind companies that address their environmental concerns. Employees, especially Millennials, are making employment decisions based on the corporate responsibility efforts of a company. And shareholders, too, now consider the environmental and social impact of their portfolios. It’s not surprising then that 62 percent of executives consider a sustainability strategy as essential in order to be competitive.

Sustainable solutions for a sustainable future

If you want explore sustainability for your operations, IBM is ready to help. With open, AI-powered solutions and platforms, and deep industry expertise, we can partner with you to create a more sustainable infrastructure and operations:

• Explore how market-leading IBM Maximo Applications Suite delivers greater sustainability through intelligent asset management, monitoring, predictive maintenance, computer vision, safety and reliability, all in a single platform.
• See how you can design a sustainable, safe and flexible workplace and drive greater operational efficiency in your facilities with IBM TRIRIGA.
• Discover how the IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite can reduce weather-related disruption to your business with advanced analytics and intelligent workflows. See how you can reimagine processes and better predict how weather will impact your assets, employees and customers.

Get more resources for your sustainability journey

Read more on the topic of sustainability and the role of technology in helping companies reduce their impact on the planet. Reports include Sustainability as a business strategy and The rise of the sustainable enterprise.

You can also learn more about IBM sustainability solutions, explore sustainable manufacturing solutions and view more from our enterprise sustainability series:

• 5 ways to manage climate risk to drive sustainability
• 3 high-value ways to accelerate your journey to supply chain sustainability
• Sustainably fueling the future: accelerating decarbonization through clean electrification
• Sustainability: Core of your business strategy